Flower Power
A missing moment from the past of Reality Displaced, inspired by picture 34 from CWE#3 at Jix.
“The garden is looking absolutely beautiful, Helen,” Peter noted, as they strolled through it together, hand in hand. “You must have put a lot of work into it.”
She glanced around in satisfaction. “Not so much as I used to, I’m sure. But, yes, I’m pleased with how it’s coming along. It’s getting so much easier, now that Bobby is a little older.”
Peter led them to the garden bench and they sat down. In front of them, tulips swayed and pansies nodded in the breeze in the big, new flower bed Helen had created. The flowers ranged from delicate pinks and lavender tones, through bright yellows to deep reds and purples. After a cold, dreary winter, the spring display looked glorious.
“I’m almost afraid to say it aloud,” he told her, a few peaceful minutes later, “but these last few months have been much easier than usual.”
Helen nodded, with her eyes on a pale pink tulip. “Yes, I’ve noticed that Trixie is getting into a lot less trouble lately – since last summer, really. It’s not that she isn’t finding mysteries; it seems to be that she solves them more easily, and without getting into dangerous situations.”
“That’s one aspect, certainly,” her husband agreed. “But I had a few other things in mind.”
“Did I tell you that Mart found my bracelet?” she asked him. “The one I lost when Trixie was three?”
He shook his head. “Where was it?”
She met his eyes. “Inside the wall behind the washing machine. There’s a little hole, where the water pipe comes out of the wall. It had gotten inside there somehow.”
“Helped by a curious three-year-old, no doubt.” He frowned. “How did Mart find it? I hope he didn’t take out the whole wall.”
“He didn’t say,” she answered, “but, no. The wall is right where it always was. I understand the retrieval involved a fishing line, but no one could explain to me why Mart thought that was something that needed to be done. Trixie claims not to remember anything about the original incident.”
“I had an interesting conversation at work today,” he shared, a short time later. “You remember the trouble I had with my decisions being questioned?”
“I’m not likely to forget,” she answered, giving his hand a squeeze. “It worried you so much.”
“Well, it turns out that both of those loans I refused – the decisions that were overridden – have now defaulted.”
She gasped. “Oh, Peter! I don’t know what to say to that. How terrible to be proved right like that.”
He shrugged. “It could have been very bad for the bank, certainly. They’re big loans and there are definite negative consequences, both short- and long-term. If it wasn’t for certain mitigating factors, it could have been very bad indeed. But there’s also a personal silver lining to this particular dark cloud; two, actually.”
She watched his face, seeing the ghost of a smile on his lips. “Are you going to tell me?”
“First, of course, my decision-making processes have been vindicated and the party in question won’t be able to override my refusals again.” The smile began to show. “Second, it’s been decided that those two loans don’t count among my figures, since that wasn’t the decision I made, which makes me eligible for a bonus.”
“That might be handy,” she answered. “Maybe we can afford a vacation?”
“Easily,” he replied, “even without the bonus. My share portfolio is performing extremely well at the moment. In fact, I’m feeling rather like King Midas right now – but without the unfortunate side effects.”
She smiled and squeezed his hand again. “A vacation might be nice – after the flowers have finished. While they’re in bloom, I’d like to stay here to see them.”
He nodded, watching the late afternoon sun gild the edges of the taller orange-red tulips. “I certainly feel easier leaving the kids, now that they’re not getting into so much trouble. I do worry a little about Brian, but Mart and Trixie are growing up to be good, responsible people.”
“Mart is a good, responsible person who can see through walls,” Helen answered softly, after carefully checking that no one was close enough to hear her.
Peter nodded. “Yes. And you can grow things better than you ever could before, while I am making the best financial decisions of my life.”
“Should we tell them that we know?” Helen wondered.
He shook his head. “I’m not certain, but I don’t think they’ve shared these new abilities with each other, yet.”
“Super powers,” Helen almost whispered. “I don’t know whether to be relieved or alarmed.”
“We did start this conversation with the idea that things had been more peaceful, lately,” he pointed out with a smile. “And, after Trixie’s early teenage years, I think we’ve earned a break.”
“But at what cost?” she wondered. “I’m not sure I’m at all comfortable with Mart looking through the walls all the time!”
“No.” He frowned. “Perhaps we should encourage him to go out more, so that we can have more privacy.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it!”
He shrugged. “It could be so much worse, Helen. Just think of all the other potential things they might be able to do.”
“I suppose so.” She turned to him. “Why are you bringing this up now, Peter? After all, I think we’ve both known for months that something strange had happened.”
“I wasn’t sure until this morning, as I left for work,” he replied. “I’d been writing off my own successes as just good luck; yours as hard work; Trixie’s as her starting to grow up…”
“But this morning?”
“This morning, I saw Dan Mangan fly.”
Helen considered this for a long moment.
“You’re so right, Peter,” she answered, at last. “It could be much worse. Let’s just be happy with what we have.”
He smiled. “My thoughts, exactly.”
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